Earn your doctorate online and be an online adjunct? Might be tough.

Many people don't understand that a doctorate is a research degree. The research is done in a dissertation. Researchers identify problems (or solutions) and measure them (quantitatively or qualitatively or both). The attrition rate is usually around 50 to 65%, depending on the college or university (it was 85% at my Alma Mater).

A regionally accredited doctorate isn't something that a candidate can casually waltz into and achieve without experiencing some mind-bending hurdles, as is evidenced by the fact that most people either fail or quit or simply walk-away from a dissertation attempt (look at the attrition rates). The attrition occurs chiefly at the dissertation stage, and not during the coursework that leads up to it. The coursework that leads up to a dissertation can take anywhere from two to three years or more. It can be a heart wrenching experience for those who don't achieve their dissertation goal, which is over half of all doctoral candidates.

Since a doctorate is a very expensive research degree with an abysmally high attrition rate, pursuing one for the sole purpose of being an adjunct isn't a realistic option for the vast majority of people. There are no intended hard feelings in this discussion, but many lives have been shattered by attempting this difficult endeavor. If you unequivocally don't want to be a researcher, then it's probably not a good idea to pursue a research doctorate.

Regardless of the above, denizens of candidates will continue to flock to doctoral programs, thus keeping an in-flow of desperately needed tuition monies to all of the offering universities. You will either succeed or fail in the choice of your endeavor -- and I wish only success on you and your life. You are now armed with more knowledge of the dissertation process.

Even a blind hog finds an occasional acorn. Just look at me. Again. LOL

 

I was all Gung-Ho when I started on the PhD and told anyone that would listen. When I hit the dissertation phase it was like nothing I was prepared for. The only think that kept me going was dumb pride - I told too many people to let myself fail. If it had just been for adjunct money I probably would have quit since I already had plenty of adjunct work with my MS-ITM.

Other people may have the drive to complete it just for adjunct work...everyone is different.

 

See, thats the beautiful thing about the internet, its full of information! That gives people like me the ability to research not only degrees, but different colleges too. Not all doctorates are created equal, im not quite sure where you get your information from but you should do some additional research. There are many types of doctorates our there, such as the M.D., Psy.D., Pharm. D., J.D. (or D.Jur.), etc... These degrees are not research degrees at all, they are professional doctorates, a BIG difference. Furthermore, additional research into schools shows that some colleges that offer doctoral degrees (Dakota State University and Capitol College are just two of the many) that roll the dissertation process into the coursework, they are not like Nova where you have classwork then are stuck on your own to start and finish a dissertation. Please do some additional research before you continue this conversation...

 

I would be honored if someone would put me at the same level as the DL gurus as Rich Douglas. We might come across as arrogant, stubborn, etc but at the end most of us here really enjoy distance education. I have been in the business of DL for more than 12 years now as instructor, student, director, course designer, dissertation advisor, etc so I really enjoy this and a take the criticism or the comments against my opinions.

I was one of those ones that did a Doctorate to increase my adjunct career that at some point was making more than 120K between part time teaching, course design, seminar, dissertation advising etc but left this career for a full time position that actually pay less but is less hectic.

The Doctorate has changed during the last 10 years partly because DL. New doctorate programs are meant for working professionals and tend to be less research oriented and more professional focused. The future of the doctorate is still not very clear with so many players in the game and with so many differences among programs. With less tenure tracks becoming and more doctorate graduates, my guess is that those aiming to have a shoot at a tenure track at a University would need to go for the 5 year full time traditional program at a top school with brand name recognition. Those doing "light" doctorates that can be completed part time online from no brand schools would use these credentials for adjunct careers, academic administration careers, consulting or just to be more competitive in their jobs.

I don't agree with me again (we have our disagreements but doesn't mean I don't respect him) that a PhD from an online institution is for those interested in a research career. Although you do research as part of your degree, most of the graduates from these programs do not get to publish in top journals (most at no journals at all) or present at conferences mainly because they have no time. If you want a shoot to become a researcher (I mean someone that attracts research grants and can be a leader of a research institute), you would need to probe yourself with publications from A+ journals such as Management Science, MIS quaterly,etc and clearly these programs are not meant to train high level research scholars. If me again wants to probe me wrong, I would be happy to see any reference from A ranked journal from a recognized ranking such as a FT that has any graduate from the online schools mentioned here such as Capella, NCU, TUI, etc. If graduates from these schools cannot publish in recognized journals, to me this is enough evidence that these programs are not meant to train researchers. (By the way, I don't have publications in top journals as this is the main reason why I don't work in a research position although I do research to be more competitive)

I also don't agree that people with online doctorates would not be able to find work as adjuncts. I do agree, however, that the adjunct career is becoming less attractive as employers have the upper hand and tend to pay less and demand more from adjuncts as doctors are more available than before.

In any case, if you are not paying the doctorate from your own pocket and enjoy learning, there is nothing to lose to do one of these online doctorates. If you are going to invest the 50K or more in a credential that might just help you to get low paid work, the revisit the idea and make sure that this is what you really want.

 

That is what I love about this board - some people just have all the answers. :tapedshut:

 

LOL

It's all so amazing, especially when it's newly discovered!

 

I'm bumping this thread because we have some new members asking about becoming online adjuncts. A lot of good, but chilling information here.

 

I think it would be a great research project if we survey people with PhDs from online institutions and ask how many of these did it with the intention to be able to adjunct on the side and how many actually got jobs.

Once I checked linked in and searched for people with PhDs from the online places discussed here and quite a few were full time adjuncts based on the fact that many did not disclose any other source of employment besides online adjunct positions.

I believe the online adjunct career is becoming quite popular but don't have numbers to back up this statement. Payment is poor but if you optimize you can make the 70 to 100K that a typical job pays in the job market but with the advantages of being self employeed.

I also believe that the online PhD or DBA has mainly utility for online adjunt positions, I don't have numbers to back up this statement but it would be good research to see how many people with online DBA or Phds actually were able to land better jobs because the doctorate in the industry and how many thought it was only beneficial for online adjunct positions.

We could take online linkedin profiles and estimate the effect of the online PhD in a career by looking at the job profiles before and after and see how many of these people were able to benefit from this degree from the professional point of view. My initial hypothesis would be that it has no effect in a professional career but might be proven wrong with the collected data.

 

The thought of becoming an online adjunct professor never crossed my mind when I embarked on a doctoral program. However, reading this website was exposure to the concept.

 

True, but don't you agree that many of the online adjunct jobs are, or will be, drying up with the pullback at schools like UoP?

 

Yes, but you also have your local schools. Online schools might die but there will be always a need for business teachers.

In any case, I wouldn't put so much money in a credential with high risk of no return. If my intention was just to teach as an adjunct on the side, I would do one of the SA degrees. An RA equivalent is all you need to be an adjunct. I remember seeing few people with SA degrees as adjuncts for Devry, it should be quite possible to become an online adjunct with a SA PhD. There are also some schools in India with low tuition fees.

 

I did not do it for that sole purpose but it was a consideration.

 

You have parleyed your online degrees into an impressive set of achievements. Got your degrees inexpensively and yet have used them profitably. Hats off to you! I think you are an exception, however. Most others probably would not do so well.

 

Wouldn't the local schools employ quite a bit fewer adjuncts than the giant profit schools?

 

I am just happy I only paid like $3K out of pocket for my PhD and $1,100 for my MS. That was easy to make back! I know it took time but it was a hobby.